Win a Date With
by ImagxIxnatioN
Summary: What if you had the chance to win a date with a WWE Superstar? Tara took her chance...and it could change her life. Features Chris Benoit, John Cena, Chris Jericho, the Divas and Lillian Garcia among others.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: The only things I own in this story are Tara and Oz. Hope you enjoy!  
  
A/N I: I've been reading fan fiction for a while now, and I've not seen too many Chris Benoit stories. Most people I know don't like him that much, but I just find something sexy about the man. Plus he's one of my favorite wrestlers, so it fit. Hope you all enjoy!  
  
*****  
  
Win a Date With...  
  
*****  
  
Buzz.  
  
Tara groaned and rolled over. Her room was pitch black, and she found it hard to open her eyes. She flung a hand over to her bedside table and hit the alarm clock, before finally finding the power to open her tired green eyes. Reaching up with the same hand she used to shut off her alarm clock, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and focused her gaze on the bright red, digital readout. A muffled gasp escaped her lips and she immediately shot up. It was already 9:15 in the morning. She was already fifteen minutes late for work, and she had just woken up.  
  
"Damnit," She cursed, flipping on the lamp beside her. She ran her fingers through her short, tousled hair before tossing the covers back and swinging her feet over the side of the bed. She stood up and grabbed her cell phone, punching in some numbers before pressing it to her ear.  
  
"Hey, David." She said into the phone. She paused for a moment as the voice on the other end spoke. "I know, I need to be more punctual." Another pause. "I'll be there in half an hour." She sighed and rolled her eyes as David spoke more. "What do you mean, you're going to dock half of my pay today?!" Her voice came out high-pitched. "Fine." After that, she hit the 'off' button on her phone and threw it down on her bed. She cursed to herself again before standing up and making her way into the bathroom that was connected to her room. She turned the shower on and let it heat up as she picked out her clothes. A short, black pleated skirt, a pink tank top shirt to go over a black fishnet top, and black platform mary janes. She returned to the bathroom and took a quick shower. Glancing at the clock after she got out of the shower, she realized that she had only ten minutes to finish getting ready and leave.  
  
"This is one of those times I'm really glad that I have short hair." She said to herself as she dried her chin-length honey brown hair. After it was dry, she flipped it out and sprayed it. Another look at the clock told her she had two minutes to put her makeup on. A light amount of foundation and blush, silver eyeliner, clear lipgloss and she was ready to go. She grabbed her black and hot pink messenger bag and stuffed her cell phone into it. She picked her keys up off of the kitchen table and was about to walk out of the door when she heard a small mewing sound.  
  
"Oh! Oz, I'm sorry sweetie." She cooed as her cat weaved himself through her legs. He purred as she quickly poured cat food into his dish. After returning the cat food bag to the table, Tara walked out of her apartment, closing and locking the door behind her.  
  
*****  
  
"David, I'm here!" Tara called as she stepped into the small tattoo parlor. She walked into the back room and threw her bag down on the small table, where David was sitting, sipping on a cup of coffee. A newspaper was spread out in front of him.  
  
"Finally." David muttered, rolling his eyes. Tara rolled her eyes toward the heavyset man as she rolled the fishnet sleeves up to her elbows and washed her hands.  
  
"What time is my first appointment?" She asked.  
  
"In about five minutes." David replied, his watery blue eyes not moving up from the paper.  
  
"Who?" She said, taking a pair of rubber gloves out of the supply case.  
  
"Christie." David grunted. Tara rolled her eyes again and made her way back into the main part of the parlor. The bell over the door gave a distinct 'ding' as it opened, and a girl with long, blackish-purple hair walked through the door. She had pale skin, and a labret piercing.  
  
"Hey Tara," The woman said with a smile. "Came to get my dragon finished."  
  
"Alright Christie, just go back into the normal room and lay down on the table, I need to get the ink and needles ready." Tara told her with a smile. Christie returned the smile and walked into a small room connected to the main room, and Tara returned to the back. She grabbed the colors of ink that she needed. David shot her a look as she walked back into the small room, where Christie was laying topless on her stomach. The outline and details of a dragon was present, covering her back from the middle of it down. It had a bit of shading around the wings, but other than that, was unfinished.  
  
"Alright, let's get started. We should be finished today." Tara told Christie, as she readied the right color onto the needles. She began filling in the colors in the right places, making a rainbow-like pattern over it. After she was finished, she cleaned off the tattoo area, rubbed an antiseptic ointment on it, and bandaged it.  
  
"All done!" Tara said. Christie sat up and slid her shirt back over her head.  
  
"Thanks, chick. How much do I owe you?" The dark-haired girl asked. Tara told her, and Christie thanked her before leaving. Tara took the gloves off of her hands and returned to the small back room, which was now empty. She grabbed her bag and keys, deciding it was time for her to take her lunch break. She drove through a Taco Bell and returned to the tattoo parlor, opting to stay in her car and listen to the radio as she ate.  
  
"Alright, this is for all you wrestling fans out there!" The excited voice of the DJ blared through her speakers as she bit into a taco. She chewed the bite in her mouth before putting the food back into the bag and listening to the radio intently. She had been a big wrestling fan for a while now, and wanted to catch what they were talking about.  
  
"This is a once in a lifetime chance, folks...to win a date with a surprise superstar!" Tara felt her mouth drop open. Win a date with one of these men? This was like a dream come true! She pulled the cell phone out of her bag and readied the number to the station on it; all she had to do now was press 'send'.  
  
"All you have to do is answer this trivia question..." Tara strained her ears even though she didn't need to as she waited for the question.  
  
"Who left as the WWF Champion the night of the famous Undertaker versus Undertaker match?" The DJ asked, enunciating every word. Tara sucked in a breath. She knew this! She quickly hit the 'send' button on her phone and was awarded with...a busy signal. Her heart dropped as she heard a girl's voice come through the speakers.  
  
"Um...was it Diesel?" The girl asked in a high-pitched voice.  
  
"Incorrect!" The DJ replied, rather chipperly. Tara hit 'send' again and heard a ringing sound. Yes! She had gotten through!  
  
"Hello, you're on the air!"  
  
"The answer is Bret Hart!" Tara basically screamed. "He beat Owen Hart in a Steel Cage Match to retain his title!" Her heart was pounding in her chest.  
  
"Correct!" The DJ's loud voice boomed. Tara squealed and began bouncing up and down in her seat. "Stay on the line and we'll be right back to you with details." He said. Tara couldn't stop smiling as she waited for the DJ to come back on the line. A few minutes later, another voice came through the earpiece.  
  
"Hello, miss." The man said. His voice was much calmer than the DJs. "I'm going to need your first and last name, please."  
  
"Tara Reynolds." She replied.  
  
"Alright, Tara..." The man trailed off. "Your date will be next Saturday. I'll call you back early that day with details of the date and who your date will be." Tara nodded, even though the man couldn't see her.  
  
"Will I need to go buy something formal? Because I don't own anything formal." Tara asked.  
  
"No, nothing too formal needed. Semi-formal is fine." He replied. They talked for a few more minutes before they hung up. Tara checked her watch and realized that she had about two minutes of her lunch left, so she finished her food and went back inside.  
  
"Tara," David said, calling her over. She dropped her trash into the trashcan and walked over to the heavyset man. "I need you to do a piercing in about half an hour." A girl named Lauren wants a bar through her cartilage." Tara nodded and went to the back to wash up. About fifteen minutes later, the girl showed up. She was a small girl that looked timid. Tara checked her license and had her sign a few papers, before leading her into the same room she had done Christie's tattoo in earlier. She sat the girl down in a chair and marked the point of entrance and exit on her ear. Tara then had the girl watch as she took the needle out of a sterile package.  
  
"Take a deep breath," Tara told her. She lined the needle up and pushed it through the skin, resulting with a scream from the girl. She was in tears by the time Tara put the barbell through the piercing. Tara inwardly rolled her eyes; she didn't think that if the people couldn't take it, they shouldn't get it done. She offered the girl a smile and told her to go up front to pay. She had to do a few more piercings throughout the day, until she finally was allowed to go home.  
  
*****  
  
-THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY-  
  
"Hope," Tara groaned to her blonde-headed friend. "I don't know what to wear tomorrow!" She was laying belly-down on her bed, while Hope searched through her closet.  
  
"How about this?" Hope asked, holding up a pink skirt with thin black pinstripes and a pink mesh top. Tara stood up and took the clothes from Hope, looking them over.  
  
"I don't know..." She said. "I was thinking something maybe a little more toned down for this. I don't know exactly where we're going to go."  
  
"Alright," Hope said, retreating back into Tara's closet. "I've got an idea." The tall, tanned girl emerged from the closet once again, this time empty handed. "We need to go shopping for this occasion." Tara sent a smile to her friend before hopping up.  
  
"Sounds like a plan to me." Tara grinned. She went to her closet and pulled out a pair of black tennis shoes. Hope had already gone into the living room. She tied her shoes and grabbed a black zip-up jacket before meeting Hope.  
  
"Let's go." The taller girl said. Tara smiled and took her car keys off of the kitchen table, before leading the way outside.  
  
They arrived at the mall about a half an hour later. They made a few stops in a few stores, before Tara finally found the perfect outfit. She dropped Hope off on the way back to her apartment.  
  
"Hey, Ozzie." She said as she entered her apartment. The fluffy white cat mewed and sat beside his bowl, which was empty. Tara filled it with cat food, earning her an appreciative meow. She grinned at the little furball before walking into her room and grabbing her pajamas. She then made her way into her bathroom, where she took a shower and changed. Oz was lying on her bed, asleep, when she entered her room. She smiled at the cat as she turned her lights off and climbed into the bed.  
  
*****  
  
Her phone ringing woke Tara up early the next morning.  
  
"Hello?" She said groggily into the mouthpiece.  
  
"Good morning Ms. Tara!" Said a chipper voice on the other line. Tara rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sat up.  
  
"Morning," She replied. "How are you today?"  
  
"Fine," He said. "I have the details of your date." Tara smiled.  
  
"Alright." She said.  
  
"You will be going to a small restaurant overlooking the beach," He said. "If you two would like to do anything else, you get to pick where to go."  
  
"Who's my date?" Tara asked eagerly. She heard a chuckle on the other line.  
  
"Your mystery date is..." He trailed off. "Chris Benoit."  
  
'Benoit?' Tara thought to herself. True, Chris Benoit was one of her favorite wrestlers...she had no doubt whatsoever in her mind that he was the best technical wrestler in the business. But...how would he fare as a date? She had never met the man in real life, so she didn't know if his on- screen persona was anything like the real him. But she knew that on- screen...he seemed a bit insensitive and was focused all on work.  
  
'Ah well.' She thought. 'Guess I'll find out later today!'  
  
"Great. What time do I need to be at the restaurant?" Tara asked.  
  
"We'll be sending a limo to pick you up around six, and you'll meet Chris at the restaurant."  
  
"Awesome." Tara said.  
  
"Well, that about wraps it up, then! Have a fun time tonight."  
  
"Thanks!" Tara said before hanging up the phone. She was wide awake now. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was only ten in the morning.  
  
'I think I'm going to call Hope and get her to go out to breakfast with me.' The short girl thought to herself, standing up and stretching. She grabbed a pair of army green pants and a red t-shirt with the word 'Mysterious' written across the front in silvery letters. She threw it on and slipped on the same pair of tennis shoes she'd worn the day before, pinned her short hair back with a few bobby pins, and brushed her teeth. She didn't even bother putting on makeup. She grabbed her car keys, purse, and cell phone, fed Oz, and went out to her car. She got in and started off towards Hope's house, waiting about five minutes before flipping open her phone and dialing Hope's number.  
  
"Hello?" She answered, apparently still sleeping.  
  
"Rise and shine, Hopey darling! We're going out to breakfast!" Tara said in a chipper voice. She heard Hope groan on the other line.  
  
"Alright..." She said.  
  
"I'll be over in ten." Tara said before hanging up. She turned up the radio as she continued towards Hope's house. She parked in the small driveway once she arrived, next to Hope's car, and let herself into her house.  
  
"You up, Hopey?" She called from the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Yes, I'll be down in a minute." Hope called from her room upstairs. Tara sat down on the blonde's couch and flipped through a magazine until Hope came down, dressed in jeans, a blue shirt, and tennis shoes.  
  
"Where do you want to go eat at?" Tara asked, standing up. Hope stretched as they walked out of her front door and got into Tara's car.  
  
"I don't know. Somewhere with waffles." Hope replied.  
  
"Waffle House it is." Tara replied with a grin. Hope rolled her eyes with a groan.  
  
"You love the Waffle House, don't you?" She asked the shorter girl. Tara laughed and they sped off towards town.  
  
*****  
  
"Hello dears," Said their server as Hope and Tara sat down in a booth at the Waffle House. "What can I get you two to drink?"  
  
"I'll take a coffee, two cream and sugars please." Hope told her.  
  
"Grapefruit juice." Tara said. The waitress nodded with a smile and went off to get their drinks.  
  
"Tara hun, I love you to death, but you are weird." Hope laughed. "One...you're like obsessed with the Waffle House. You eat hear at least twice a week, don't you?" Tara nodded with a laugh and took a sip of her grapefruit juice that the waitress had just brought to her, along with Hope's coffee.  
  
"And two...you like grapefruit juice. That stuff is nasty." Hope said.  
  
"No its not! It's yummy." Tara said, taking another sip. The waitress had returned by then, and was waiting on their order.  
  
"I'll have waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, please." Tara told her. She nodded and wrote it down on her pad.  
  
"Make that two." Hope added. The waitress smiled at the girls and walked off with their orders.  
  
"I found out who my date is." Tara told Hope, grinning.  
  
"Who is it?!" Hope asked, before sipping on her coffee.  
  
"Chris Benoit." Tara replied.  
  
"Seriously?" Hope asked. "I hope he's nothing like he is on- screen...he's kind of...um...intense."  
  
"Yeah, I know it." Tara said. Their food had been brought out, so she took a break to bite into her waffles. "I think it'll turn out good though."  
  
"I hope so." Hope said. They talked about the date for the rest of the meal, then Tara paid.  
  
"At least let me pay half," Hope said. Tara shook her head.  
  
"I woke you up early, I'm paying." Tara said, paying the check. They walked out of the restaurant and headed to Tara's house, where Hope was going to help her get ready.  
  
*****  
They arrived at Tara's house at nearly one. Tara got her new outfit and got into the shower, as Hope got all of Tara's makeup out and began sorting through it. Tara came out about a half an hour later, wearing a pink tube-top dress that came to her knees and that had a black satin ribbon around the waist. A pair of black, stiletto-heeled shoes with straps around the ankles and beadwork on the back. They added about three inches to Tara's normal 5'1" frame.  
  
"You look great." Hope said, gawking at her friend. Tara smiled.  
  
"Thanks. I think I'm just going to fix my hair like normal." She said.  
  
"It always looks good that way." Hope replied.  
  
"Alright, I'm gonna go fix it, I'll be back in a minute." Tara told her. Hope nodded and Tara walked back into the bathroom. She brushed her hair out, dried it, and flipped it out with a curling iron. She then sprayed it and returned to her bedroom.  
  
"Look good?" She asked Hope, gesturing to her hair. Hope smiled and nodded at the girl.  
  
"Wonderful. Now come here, let me do your makeup." Hope grinned. Tara smiled and sat down beside her friend. Hope spread a light amount of foundation over her smooth skin. She brushed on some light pink colored blush and lined her green eyes with silver eyeliner.  
  
"These colors look really good on you," Hope said as she applied light pink eye shadow to her eyelids, then coated her lashes in mascara. She lined her lips in a soft, rosy red color, then spread the color over her full lips and covered them in clear gloss.  
  
"You look gorgeous. Seriously, you are such a knockout." Hope said. "Benoit is going to shit his pants when he sees the girl he has a date with." Tara smiled at her friend and stood up, walking over to her full- length mirror. She looked at herself from the front and both sides.  
  
'Wow,' She thought to herself. 'It's amazing what a little makeup and some new clothes can do for a girl.' The dress and heels actually added a sense of height to the small girl.  
  
"Do you think it looks a little trashy, cause of the tats?" Tara asked. The tattoo of a butterfly at the nape of her neck and the one of a light pink and white lily that decorated her right ankle were clearly visible.  
  
"No. Hun, believe me, you look absolutely stunning." Hope reassured her. Tara nodded and glanced at the clock. It was already 5:45.  
  
"Almost date time," Tara started, letting out a deep breath. "And the nerves begin to kick in." She shook her head as she made her way into her kitchen. Oz was laying on the kitchen floor in the middle of a cat nap.  
  
"Wake up Ozzie, it's time to eat." She cooed to the fluffy white cat. His ears perked up and he stretched before standing up, his bottlebrush tail swishing back and forth. Tara took a can off of the fridge and opened it with the can opener, before dumping the wet cat food into Oz's bowl.  
  
"There you go sweetie," She said to the cat, bending down and stroking his shiny fur. Just as she stood up, her doorbell rang.  
  
"Oh God...they're here." Tara said. She rushed back into her room, grabbed her purse and cell phone, then walked back into the living room.  
  
"I guess this is it," She said to Hope. Hope smiled.  
  
"Knock him dead, girl. I'm staying here, I want details when you get back."  
  
"You know it. Bye." Tara smiled before opening her door and stepping out into the hallway. A man, about six feet tall, was waiting. He was wearing a suit and held a pink rose.  
  
"Tara, I presume?" The man asked. Tara nodded.  
  
"That'd be me." She replied, smiling. The driver smiled back.  
  
"I'm Edward, and I'll be your driver tonight. Mr. Benoit is waiting at the restaurant, and asked me to give this to you at your door." He handed her the rose.  
  
"Thank you," She said, graciously accepting the long-stemmed rose. Edward nodded and led the short girl to the elevator, then down to the black stretch limo. He opened the door for her and she climbed in the back.  
  
"If you open up the compartment to your left, there should be some champagne, if you'd like." Edward told her before closing the door and getting into the drivers seat. They took off towards the restaurant. Tara decided not to have anything until they arrived at the restaurant. The trip took only about twenty minutes until Edward stopped the limo and let Tara out of the car. Rose and purse in hand, she offered a nod to Edward before making her way into the restaurant, which was called 30 Degree Blue. The Panama City Beach native knew this restaurant well; it was a very nice, smaller restaurant. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open. It was dusky outside, and there were candles lighting every table. She immediately knew where she needed to go: a small table was set up near the back, and she saw Chris Benoit sitting there, sipping at a glass of water. She took another deep breath and began to slowly walk towards the table. Chris glanced up and saw her walking towards him, and immediately stood up to greet her. He offered her a smile, which she returned almost shyly. She was just a few steps away from him when she felt her heel catch on the carpet. She felt herself jerk forward and almost fall. She closed her eyes and waited to hit the ground, when she felt a pair of strong arms circle around her waist. She cracked an eye open and looked up at Chris.  
  
"Wow," She said out loud. "Smooth way to introduce yourself, Tara." Chris grinned and helped her steady herself.  
  
"I'd say. It's not every day I have a pretty girl fall right into my arms." Chris replied. Tara laughed and offered her hand.  
  
"Tara Reynolds." She said. Chris took her hand in his.  
  
"Chris Benoit. It's very nice to meet you, Tara."  
  
"It's very nice to meet you, too." Tara replied, looking over the taller man. He was dressed in black slacks and a blue button-down shirt.  
  
'He looks really handsome,' Tara thought to herself. Chris moved behind her and pulled her seat out. She sat down and he pushed her up to the table before returning to his own seat. A waiter came over and took their drink orders.  
  
"Did you like the rose?" Chris asked, looking at Tara. She still had the rose in her hands.  
  
"Yes, it's beautiful." Tara replied with a smile. "One of my favorite colors, too."  
  
"Really?" Chris said. "Wow, lucky guess." He grinned. The waiter then brought their drinks back out. Tara took a sip of her white wine.  
  
"How do you like living in Florida?" Chris asked. "It must be nice to live on the beach."  
  
"Yeah, it is. It's really nice to go out at night when no one's around. Well, when it's not tourist season, at least. We get a lot of people here over spring break especially. It's a total party town, then." Tara laughed. "I never party that much though. I usually just stay at home with my cat over spring break. We get a lot of drunk college kids in the parlor around that time of year." Tara trailed off. She realized that she was rambling on, so she decided to quiet down for a moment. Chris smiled at her.  
  
"At the parlor?" He asked.  
  
"Yep. I work at a tattoo and piercing place about fifteen minutes away from here." Tara replied.  
  
"Interesting line of work." Chris said. Tara nodded.  
  
"It is. It's a bit odd, but I love it. Especially tattoos, I think they're a great form of expression."  
  
"I saw the one on your ankle." Chris told her, taking a sip of his wine. "Do you have any others?"  
  
"Oh yeah." Tara laughed. She turned slightly so he could see the butterfly on her neck. "That one, plus two on the small of my back, one on my hip bone, one around my bellybutton, and one near the middle of my back." Tara told him. They continued talking over their dinner. After they were done, Chris paid and he and Tara returned to the limo.  
  
"Do you want to go to the beach?" She asked him. "Just to go walking. I doubt many people will be out right now, not too many tourists are in town and it's getting late."  
  
"Sure," Chris replied. Tara told Edward where to go. They arrived in less than five minutes. Tara had already taken off her shoes and left them in the car. Chris did the same and they walked down onto the beach. It was nearly empty. It was dark outside, and the moonlight was shining on the gulf waters.  
  
"Do you still live in Edmonton?" Tara asked as they walked down the beach, the surf just meeting their feet.  
  
"No, I moved to Atlanta just recently." He replied. Before Tara had a chance to even notice it, Chris had reached down and taken her hand in his. She smiled.  
  
"Atlanta's a fun place." She said. Chris nodded in agreement.  
  
"What made you decide to start wrestling?" She asked after a moment of silence. Chris looked thoughtfully up at the sky, before turning and looking at the short girl.  
  
"I don't know, really. I was a fan when I was a kid, and once I tried it....it was just addictive. I couldn't get enough of being in the ring. It was like a calling. Showcasing this talent that you're blessed with....it's really an amazing feeling. Especially when the crowd is roaring....they can be chanting your name or telling you to get your ass out of the ring, but it doesn't matter. It's just such a rush to be in front of thousands of people a night, and to have them recognize you in some way." He said. Tara smiled.  
  
"That's one hell of a reason." She grinned. Chris returned the grin and slid his arm around her waist as they continued to walk down the beach. They walked and chatted for a while longer, before Chris checked his watch.  
  
"God....we better get back. It's almost midnight." He said. Tara reluctantly agreed. They returned to the limo and back to her apartment building. They arrived and Tara grabbed her rose and purse. To her surprise, Chris got out of the limo to walk her to her door.  
  
"I had a really great night. Thank you." Tara told him when they were standing in front of her door.  
  
"I had a great night too. You are one amazing girl, Tara." Chris said, before leaning in. He placed a soft kiss on her lips. Tara was surprised at first, but then returned the kiss.  
  
"I want to keep in touch with you. To see if maybe we can turn this into something." Chris told her. Tara's breath caught in her throat. She really wasn't expecting that. Nodding, she grabbed a scrap piece of paper and a pen out of her purse. She wrote her cell number and handed it to Chris. He tore the blank part of the paper away from her number and wrote his number on it.  
  
"Goodnight Chris. I'll talk to you soon." Tara told him. He smiled, leaning in and kissing her again. After that, he walked back to the elevator and returned downstairs. Tara smiled before unlocking her door and walking inside.  
  
***** 


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I own only Tara, Oz, and the other original characters in this story.  
  
A/N: Well, here's chapter two! I hope you all enjoy it. Just to clear up any confusion, in this story the RAW and SmackDown! Brands are not split, so the superstars are on both shows. Oh, and Jeff is still with the company. This chapter happens around the beginning of November 2003, and the story will progress from there. Also, the matches don't follow the matches on the show.  
  
*****  
  
-One Year Later-  
  
"Hope!" Tara said into her cell phone. "Seriously, you have to get up! We need to leave in like half an hour." Tara heard a grumbled reply before hanging the phone up. She had been up for at least an hour and a half now.  
  
'I need a necklace,' She told herself, looking into her full-length mirror. She was dressed in a pair of army green, flair legged jeans, a thin white cotton button-down shirt over a pink camisole, and black tennis shoes. She walked over to her dresser drawers and pulled open a small one in the middle, where she kept all of her jewelry.  
  
'This will work.' She told herself as she pulled out a choker. It was a pink satin rose on a black satin string. She tied it around her next and looked in the mirror once more. After a nod of approval, she fed Oz, grabbed her purse, cell phone, and car keys, and left the apartment. She arrived at Hope's house about fifteen minutes later. She let herself into the house, where Hope was waiting on the couch. The leggy blonde was dressed in a pair of light denim blue jeans, a green off-the-shoulder shirt, and black sandals.  
  
"Ready to go?" Tara asked. Hope stood up and nodded.  
  
"How long is the drive to Orlando again?" Hope said as she grabbed her purse.  
  
"Like, two or three hours." Tara replied. "But hey, it's for a RAW taping. It's worth it." She grinned. "Oh, and look at these..." Tara reached into her purse and pulled out two laminated rectangles. "David gave them to me as a bonus. I really have no idea how he got them." She handed one to Hope. Hope looked over it before looking back at Tara, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"Backstage passes!" She squealed. Tara smiled and nodded.  
  
"I know, I couldn't believe it either!" Tara said as she turned back towards the door. Hope followed her, locking the door behind her. They climbed back into Tara's car and Hope opened Tara's CD case. She popped WWF Forceable Entry into the CD player, letting it play from the very beginning. The girls talked the entire way to Orlando, and the trip down passed by quickly.  
  
"Finally," Hope said as they pulled into the arena. She handed Tara her pass and slipped hers around her neck as Tara parked. The back entrance of the arena was full already, with rental cars and large trucks. Members of the crew were bringing various pieces of equipment into the arena. Tara turned the car off and took her keys out as they got out of the car. She dropped the keys into her bag after she locked the car. They approached the back entrance. A large security guard was standing outside of the doors.  
  
"And you two are?" He asked in a deep voice as the girls approached him.  
  
"We're fans," Tara said, holding up her pass. "We have passes." He checked her pass and Hope's before letting them in.  
  
"Enjoy the show." He said as they walked through the door. Hope was practically bouncing with excitement.  
  
"Hope," Tara whispered, looking back at her friend. "Calm down or they'll have the nice men in the white coats after you!" Hope giggled.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm just so excited!" She whispered back. Tara rolled her eyes and walked on down the corridor they were in.  
  
"I wonder if someone is supposed to show us around..." Tara said as they entered what apparently was catering. At first glance, there was no one in the room except for members of the crew and what Tara guessed to be a few jobbers. One of the crewmembers looked up at the girls as they entered the room. He had on a wireless headset and a dress shirt and pants.  
  
"Hello, ladies. I see you have backstage passes!" Tara was slightly taken aback at the man's excitement. "My name's Tony and I'll be showing you around today."  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Tony. I'm Tara Reynolds." Tara said, offering her hand. Tony shook it, his grip firm.  
  
"And I'm Hope Sommers." Hope piped up, also offering her hand. Tony also shook her hand.  
  
"Alright, come right along and I'll introduce you two to some of the wrestlers!" Tony smiled and turned, walking out of catering. The girls followed closely behind him.  
  
"Now, I'll be taking you to what's sort of like a rec room. The wrestlers tend to gather there and socialize before the show." Tony said. He led them through a number of hallways before they were standing in front of two double-doors. Tony pushed them open and led the girls in.  
  
"Excuse me!" He said. There were at least fifteen wrestlers in the room, all talking to one another. They all quieted and looked at Tony. "I want to introduce you all to these two young ladies. Their names are Tara and Hope, and they will be joining you all back here before the show begins. Enjoy your time, ladies!" Tony said before exiting the room. Tara smiled and waved. One of the men stood up and walked over to them.  
  
"Hey," He said, shaking each of their hands. "I'm John Cena, it's great to meet you both." He flashed a smile at them. Tara returned the smile and shot a glance over at Hope. She was smiling widely at John. Tara knew that John was Hope's absolute favorite wrestler, and that she had a huge crush on him.  
  
"H...hey." Hope said, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice.  
  
"C'mon," John said to the girls. "I'll introduce you around. He led them over to the wrestlers, who were grouped off in different sections of the room. They met a number of their favorite superstars and were having various conversations with a few of them when the doors behind them opened. Instinctively, Tara turned her head to see who it was. She locked eyes with Chris Benoit as he walked into the room. He stopped dead in his tracks, his blue eyes meeting her green ones.  
  
"I'll...be right back, Hope." Tara said, finding it difficult to break the gaze she held with Chris. She stood up and walked over to him.  
  
"Hey," He said when the short girl stopped in front of him.  
  
"Hey." She replied, her voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"Wow." Chris said, running a hand over his face. "I had no idea you were going to be here today."  
  
"I know. Do you think we can go somewhere more...private and talk?" Tara asked. Her arms were crossed underneath her breasts and she was shifting her weight from foot to foot. Chris nodded.  
  
"Yeah...sure. Come on, we can go to my dressing room." Tara nodded. She glanced behind her and saw Hope staring at the two. She waved at her friend before following Chris out of the rec room. They walked in silence down the hallway until they reached a door. Chris opened it and allowed her to enter, before entering himself and closing the door behind them. Tara sat down on one of the wooden benches in the room. Chris hovered above her, looking as though he was trying to find the right words to say.  
  
"You never called," Tara started. Chris nodded slightly and took a seat beside her. "I called you a few times and left messages, but you never called back."  
  
"I know." Chris said. "I don't know why I never did, either." He shook his head. "Maybe it was because I saw what my coworkers went through when they tried to date fans. Whatever it was, it was a stupid reason and I should have called back."  
  
"I understand that you have a busy schedule though, and your doubts were legitimate, so I'm not going to hold a grudge." Tara smiled. "It is nice to see you again, Chris."  
  
Chris returned the smile. "Yeah, it is. I never thought I would see you again, but I'm glad I did."  
  
"Me too. I was hoping just to get to see you in the ring tonight. Hope and I bought tickets for the show the day they went on sale, but David, my boss, gave me the passes yesterday as a bonus."  
  
Chris nodded, and looked as though he was in slightly deep thought for a moment. "Are you staying here after the show? I mean, in Orlando tonight?"  
  
Tara shook her head. "Hope and I weren't planning on it. Why?"  
  
"I was hoping that...maybe we could take the night to catch up. Go for a walk on the beach, just like on our date last year." Chris replied.  
  
"Well..." Tara trailed off, before shifting her eyes in thought. "I'm sure Hope wouldn't mind. She and I could split cost between a hotel room and..."  
  
"No, I'll put you two up in the hotel the roster is at." Chris interrupted. Tara shook her head.  
  
"I couldn't imply like that..."  
  
"You wouldn't be implying. It was my idea for you two to stay the night here and you shouldn't have to pay for it. Besides, it's worth it." Chris said. Tara looked to be thinking it over and finally nodded.  
  
"Alright. I'm going to go tell Hope, and then I'll be right back." Tara told Chris. He nodded and she stood up, walking out of the room. She walked down the hallway until she was back at the rec room. Hope was sitting in a corner alone with John, and they seemed to be in deep conversation.  
  
"Hopey," Tara said, walking over to her friend. "We're gonna stay here in Orlando tonight, okay?"  
  
"Alright." Hope stood up and walked over to her much shorter friend. "Me and John have clicked so well." Hope said smiling.  
  
Tara smiled back. "That's great, chick. Look, I'm gonna go back and talk to Chris some more before the show starts. I'll talk to you later." Tara patted her friend's shoulder before walking back to Chris's dressing room. She quietly opened the door to find him there, bouncing his feet with his hands in his lap. He looked up when he heard her close the door behind her.  
  
"Everything okay?" He asked. She nodded and sat back down beside him. He checked his watch.  
  
"You and Hope can stay back here for the show if you want, and watch it on the monitors." He said.  
  
"Actually, I think we're going to go out into the crowd and watch it. That way we get to see it in the flesh. This is the first show Hope's been to; she's not really been watching it that long. She started watching it about a month before our date last year."  
  
Chris nodded. "That's fine." He said. "I'm in the main event tonight against Batista. After the match, you and Hope can just come back here to either this dressing room, or the rec room, or catering. I'll need to take a shower after my match." Chris said.  
  
"Alright." Tara said. "Hope will definitely want to come back to talk to John." She admitted with a grin. "I'm gonna go get Hope and we're going to go get to our seats, the show is going to start in about fifteen minutes." Tara said, glancing at her watch.  
  
"Where are you two at? Maybe I'll see you during my match." Chris said.  
  
"We are in the fifth row of floor seats closest to the ramp on the right." Tara replied. Chris nodded.  
  
"Have fun," He said, standing up.  
  
"Oh, trust me, we will." Tara stood up beside the taller man. "Good luck!" She added, giving him a quick hug before walking out of the locker room.  
  
"Hope, come on, let's get out to our seats." The brunette said as she walked back into the rec room. Hope looked up at her friend from her seat next to John.  
  
"Okay." She said. "I'll see you after the show, John." Hope told him with a smile.  
  
"Alright." John replied. "Have fun, chica."  
  
Hope grinned at him before turning and following Tara out of the room. They walked outside and around to the front, where a large crowd had formed. The girls pushed their way through the crowd and walked into the arena. They showed a man at the entrance their tickets, then went and found their seats. Just as they sat down, music boomed through the arena and pyros went off, whistling in every direction. Tara found herself anxiously awaiting Chris's match all throughout the rest of the show. A while later, she checked her watch and smiled. Chris's match would probably start after Kane's ended. She waited patiently until the end of the match, and finally, Chris's music hit. Tara stood up and cheered as he came down the ramp. Batista entered shortly after, and the match began. Tara was on the edge of her seat for almost the entire match, cheering for Chris when he got a good move in, booing at Batista when he hit Chris. She saw Chris shoot her a glance after he hit three German suplexes on Batista. He half smiled at her before locking Batista in the Crippler Crossface. It wasn't long after that until Batista began slapping the mat, not able to handle the pressure on his back. She cheered along with the rest of the crowd as Chris stood victoriously in the middle of the ring. Tara smiled, her gaze focused only on him, until she heard Hope gasp and grab her arm. Tara turned her head just in time to see Randy Orton sprinting down the ramp, a metal folding chair in his hands. He quickly slid into the ring. Just as Chris turned around, Randy swung the chair, nailing Chris in the side of the head. Chris fell to the mat as Randy dropped the chair and helped Batista to his feet and up the ramp. When they were about halfway down the ramp, two medics came out and helped Chris backstage. As they were walking up the ramp, Tara noticed a bleeding gash on his forehead. She hopped up and grabbed Hope's arm, dragging her out of the arena and around the back. They flashed their passes again before walking into the backstage area.  
  
"You can go ahead and look for John," Tara said, turning towards Hope. "I'm gonna go check on Chris." Hope nodded and Tara turned, walking towards Chris's dressing room. The door was closed, so she reached up and knocked.  
  
"Come in," She heard Chris's voice say. She opened the door and walked in, closing the door behind her.  
  
"Hey." He said, offering her a small smile. She returned it and walked over to him. He was sitting on the same bench they were earlier, still in his tights with a towel pressed to his forehead.  
  
"That was a great match." She told him. He looked up at her.  
  
"Thanks," He said, moving over a little so that she could sit beside him. She took the seat and reached up, pulling the towel away from his forehead. There was a gash just above his eyebrow that was freely bleeding. She ran her thumb softly just underneath it, making him wince.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry..." She started, jerking her hand away.  
  
"It's alright, really." Chris said. Tara stood up.  
  
"Chris, you need to go to the trainer." She said. "That's a pretty bad cut." He nodded and stood up. He took her hand in his and led her to the trainer's room. The trainer said that he needed a few stitches, and Chris ended up leaving with three. The trainer also told him to take an Advil to get rid of the headache.  
  
"See, all better." Tara said, smiling at him. He returned the smile as they walked back to Chris's locker room.  
  
"I'm going to take a shower." He said. "You're welcome to stay here and wait on me, or go find Hope or anything. Or you can join me." He added the last part as a joke, winking at her. She grinned and rolled her eyes.  
  
"I'll wait in here on you." She laughed. Chris smiled at her before grabbing his clothes and walking into the showers. Tara sat back with her eyes closed as she heard the spray of the water turn on. Chris came back into the main part of the locker room about fifteen minutes later, dressed in a pair of jeans and a short sleeved white button-down shirt that was unbuttoned. He ran a hand through his damp hair and smiled as he looked at Tara, who was still leaning back against the bench with her eyes closed, her knees tucked up to her chest. She cracked a green eye open and looked at Chris with a smile.  
  
"Am I that interesting to watch?" She giggled.  
  
Chris grinned. "I thought you were asleep."  
  
"Nah," She replied. "Just relaxing." Chris nodded and threw his tights, wrestling boots, and pads into his bag.  
  
"Ready to go?" He asked. She nodded and stood up, stretching. Chris swung his bag over his shoulder and opened the door, letting Tara out in front of him. She smiled as he flipped the lights off and closed the door behind them. The hallways were mostly devoid of wrestlers now; the only wanderers were members of the crew. The rec room was almost empty too, other than Hope and John.  
  
"Hey Hopey, ready to get back to the hotel? I figured we could all go to the hotel bar and grab a couple of drinks before turning in." Tara said. Hope nodded.  
  
"Sounds good to me. How about you two?" She asked.  
  
"I'm game." John said, slipping his arm around Hope's waist.  
  
"Me too." Chris said. Tara smiled at the three.  
  
"Alright. So, I guess Hope and I will go in my car." Tara said.  
  
"Actually, John asked me to ride with him. Is that okay?" Hope said.  
  
"Fine with me. Chris, you wanna ride with me?" Tara asked.  
  
"Sure." He said.  
  
"Alright," Tara said. "Let's go!" She took Chris's hand and led him out of the arena over to her car. She got in the drivers side and cranked the car, immediately greeted with Forceable Entry. It was currently on the Hardy Boyz theme. Chris climbed into the passenger seat and Tara pulled the car out of the arena.  
  
"Okay, what hotel are we at?" She asked.  
  
"The Caribe Royale Resort." Chris told her. She nodded, recognizing the name of the hotel. They arrived there about twenty minutes later, with John and Hope behind them. All four of them walked into the hotel, and Hope and Tara went to the bar to wait on John and Chris when they went up to their rooms to drop their bags off. They met the girls downstairs about five minutes later.  
  
"What'll it be?" Said a middle-aged woman, walking over to them. She had a cigarette hanging off of her bottom lip, way too much blue eye shadow on, and frizzy blonde hair piled atop her head.  
  
"We'll take a couple of shot glasses and some tequila." Hope told her. The woman nodded.  
  
"I'll have a beer." John said.  
  
"Make that two." Chris said, and the woman nodded. She returned to the table a few minutes later, holding a tray containing a bottle of tequila, two shot glasses, and two bottles of beer. She sat them down before walking off. Tara grinned before pouring both her and Hope a glass full of tequila a piece.  
  
"Bottoms up," Hope said, holding up the small shot glass. Tara clinked hers against Hope's and they each downed them in one gulp. Tara glanced at Chris, who grinned at her as he took a sip of his beer. Hope refilled the glasses and they each drank another shot.  
  
After almost an hour in the bar, John was the only one that wasn't remotely on the tipsy side. Chris had soon joined Tara and Hope with their shots of tequila, and between the three of them, the bottle was already halfway gone.  
  
"Okay, I need another one." Tara said to Hope, giggling. Hope also giggled and attempted to pour more tequila into Tara's shot glass, but missed and splashed some onto the table. John reached over and took the bottle from her with a smile.  
  
"Tara, I'm gonna take Hope up to my hotel room." Tara shot him a look. "Whoa, we're not going to do anything." He laughed. "She's drunk. I'm gonna take her up there so she can sleep it off and not end up hurting herself going upstairs."  
  
"Alrighty!" Tara said. "Bye bye John, take care of my best friend okay? Cause she's my best friend." She giggled. John grinned and rolled his eyes; Tara was obviously drunk too. He then stood up and helped Hope up, wrapping his arm around her waist. She clumsily began to walk with his help, and they disappeared out of the bar.  
  
"Here ya go!" Tara said as she poured both her and Chris another shot glass of tequila. They drank them quickly.  
  
"Man, I love tequila." Tara giggled.  
  
"Yeah, me too." Chris said, grinning. The waitress came over to them and took the tequila bottle away, and they both ordered a jack and coke. They had those finished off soon after they arrived.  
  
"Come on," Chris said, taking Tara's hand in his softly. His words were slurred. "Let's go upstairs." Tara nodded and stumbled, following Chris upstairs.  
  
*****  
  
Sunlight flooding through the window awoke Tara the next morning.  
  
"Ow..." She muttered, pulling her pillow over her head. 'This is one bitch of a hangover.' She thought and began to get up. The covers fell to her waist and she glanced down...noticing that she was nude, from the waist up at least. She peeked over the side of the bed and saw the clothes she had worn the night before were in a pile beside it. She sucked in a sharp breath and looked to her right.  
  
"Oh shit." She said as she saw Chris laying there, still asleep. He was laying on his stomach, his bare back visible from his position. She groaned and flung herself back onto the bed, pulling the covers over her head.  
  
"What have I done?" She asked herself quietly.  
  
***** 


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I only own Tara, Hope, and Oz.  
  
*****  
  
Tara groaned as she blinked her eyes open. Somehow, in the midst of her splitting headache and her fear of what had happened the night before, she had managed to fall back asleep. An unpleasant rumbling in her stomach had roused her, and she reached over the side of the bed, grabbing her bra and panties. She quickly slid them on and hurried into the bathroom. She sank to her knees in front of the toilet and vomited what she guessed to be most of the alcohol she had consumed the night before. After she was sure she had gotten it all out of her, she stood up and splashed cold water on her face.  
  
'Did we do anything?' Tara wondered, looking at the still sleeping Chris from the bathroom doorframe. She walked back into the bedroom, intending to take two aspirin to ease the pounding in her head, when something caught her eye. What looked like a small, laminated piece of paper was lying on the floor. She picked it up and sighed after she saw what it was. A condom wrapper. An open, empty condom wrapper.  
  
"Shit." She cursed out loud. Chris picked his head up off of the pillow.  
  
"Damn, this is one hell of a hangover..." Chris started, looking over at Tara. She was standing in the middle of the room in her bra and panties, clutching something.  
  
"Sorry I woke you." She said softly. Chris began to get up, but before he did, he glanced down and became fully aware that he was completely nude.  
  
"Oh my God..." He said. "What happened?" Tara walked over to him and handed him the wrapper, not saying anything.  
  
"Oh my God." He repeated.  
  
"I guess I'll go now." Tara said, grabbing her clothes from the floor. She slipped her camisole over her head and sat down on the bed, putting her jeans on.  
  
"Wait," Chris said, grabbing her arm softly. "I don't want you to go."  
  
"You don't?" She asked, looking back at him. He nodded his head.  
  
"Of course not." He said. "Why would I?"  
  
"Because of what happened."  
  
"Tara..." He started, running his hand down her arm. "I don't regret what happened...just how it happened."  
  
Tara felt the bed move, and figured Chris was putting his boxers back on. She turned around on the bed, seeing his bare back facing her. She moved forward and reached around him, running her hands down his chest and stomach. She rested her head on his back, near his shoulder, and placed a small kiss on his smooth skin. He placed his hands over hers, rubbing them with his thumbs.  
  
"So we're okay?" She asked, closing her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, definitely." Chris replied. Tara nodded her head against his back. Suddenly, a loud ringing noise startled the two.  
  
"Hello?" Tara said, picking the phone up.  
  
"Hey chick!" Hope's voice came through. "What's up?!"  
  
"How can you be so damn chipper?" Tara groaned. "You were as drunk as I was last night and I'm hung over as hell."  
  
"I dunno, I guess I just handle my alcohol better." Hope replied with a giggle. "I barely even had a headache."  
  
"Lucky." Tara grinned.  
  
"Anyways, John and I wanted to know if you two wanted to go out to lunch with us."  
  
"Lunch? It's that late already?" Tara asked.  
  
"Yup." Hope replied.  
  
"Hang on, let me ask Chris." Tara said, turning towards him. "Do you want to go out to lunch with Hope and John?" She asked, her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone.  
  
"Sure," He replied. "I just need a shower first."  
  
"Okay, we'll come." Tara said. "We'll meet you two in the lobby in about forty five minutes, we both need showers."  
  
"Alrighty. See ya then, chick!" Hope said before hanging up the phone.  
  
"You can go ahead and get a shower." Chris told her, standing up and stretching.  
  
"Okay." Tara said, standing up. Before heading into the bathroom, she walked over to Chris. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist.  
  
"So, you really don't regret what happened?" She asked, looking up at him. He shook his head.  
  
"I really don't. The only thing I regret is the circumstances under which it happened." He said. She smiled.  
  
"Do you regret it?" He asked her.  
  
"When I first woke up this morning, I was scared out of my mind about what had happened. It just hit me like a ton of bricks and I was afraid you were going to want me to leave." She said. "But now...no, I don't regret it. I just regret the circumstances under which it happened." She grinned. He returned the grin and leaned down, kissing her. Her arms went up around his neck and she tilted her head back slightly. He broke the kiss and smiled at her.  
  
"I'll be out in a minute" She told him. He nodded and she walked into the bathroom. She turned the water on and undressed, stepping underneath the spray. She washed her hair, face, and the rest of her body before stepping out of the shower. She dressed in her jeans and camisole, opting to leave the button-down shirt off. She towel dried her hair, then walked back into the bedroom. Chris was lying back on the bed with his eyes closed. Tara smiled and got onto the bed beside him. He blinked his eyes open and looked over at her. Grinning, she straddled him and placed her lips on his neck, kissing it softly. She felt him shiver beneath her and parted her lips slightly, running the tip of her tongue over his skin. He ran his hands over her back, underneath her shirt. She moved her lips up from his neck to his lips. He pulled her closer to him, crushing his lips against hers. Again, she parted her lips and ran the tip of her tongue over his lips. He parted his lips and slid his tongue into her mouth. After another heated moment, Tara broke the kiss to catch her breath. She smiled as his crystal blue eyes met her green ones.  
  
"I better go take a shower now." Chris said, reaching up and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She moved off of him, letting him up to shower. Tara flipped through channels on the TV as Chris showered. A few minutes later, Chris came back out. Tara grabbed her button-up shirt and slid her shoes on before standing up and running a hand through her hair.  
  
"Okay, let's go." Tara said, smiling. Chris came over and took her hand in his as she swung her purse over her shoulder. They walked out of the door and took the elevator down to the lobby, where John and Hope were waiting.  
  
"It's about time, you two. I thought y'all had gotten caught up in something..." John joked. Tara smiled and shook her head, feeling her cheeks turn slightly pink.  
  
"Where do y'all wan to go eat at?" Hope asked.  
  
"How about the..." Tara started.  
  
"Not the Waffle House!" Hope said, laughing. Tara stuck her tongue out at her.  
  
"Anywhere's fine with me." Chris said.  
  
"Same here." John added.  
  
"Oh, fine..." Hope said, mock rolling her eyes. "Waffle House it is."  
  
"Yay!" Tara said with a laugh. John raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"What?" Tara laughed. "I love the Waffle House." She shrugged. John just grinned, and Chris took a step closer to her, wrapping an arm around her slender waist.  
  
They all piled into one car and found the nearest Waffle House. They found an empty booth near the back of the restaurant. A waitress came up, and they ordered their drinks.  
  
"I want waffles." Tara said out loud, looking down at the menu.  
  
"Honestly Tara, you're going to get fat!" Hope laughed. "All you ever eat is waffles!"  
  
"Nuh uh." Tara replied, poking her tongue out at Hope. "I always eat fruit with my waffles, thanks. Come to think about it, I eat fruit all the time anyways..." She grinned.  
  
"And you always drink that nasty grapefruit juice." Hope said, scrunching her nose up as Tara took a drink of her juice. She rolled her eyes after she sat her glass down.  
  
"I love it." The waitress came back over and they all ordered. They talked over their brunch and soon enough they were back, driving around Orlando looking for something to do.  
  
"Hope, we're going to have to leave here around four or five..." Tara said. "I have to get home and feed Oz, and I'm sure the guys have to get to another city."  
  
"Yeah." John said. "We have to be in North Carolina first thing in the morning."  
  
"Then let's just go back to the hotel and hang out until it's time for us to leave." Hope said. She was sitting in the back, resting against John.  
  
"Alright." Tara said, moving her right hand into her lap while using the left to steer the car. Chris reached over and took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. Tara pulled back into the hotel parking lot. They all got out and walked back into the hotel, and up to John's room.  
  
"We can order a movie." John suggested. Hope nodded her head yes, so they searched through the pay-per-views and finally settled on Blue Crush. The movie started soon after. John was in a room with two beds. He and Hope were on one, with her resting with her back to his chest, his arms around her waist, and Tara and Chris were on the other, her sitting in his lap.  
  
"I'm gonna miss you." Chris whispered into Tara's ear, so that only she could hear him.  
  
"I'm gonna miss you, too." She turned and whispered back. "You'll come and visit me, right?"  
  
"Any chance I get." She smiled and kissed his cheek.  
  
"Well, at least you'll call this time." She teased. He grinned.  
  
"Yeah, I will." He stole a glance over towards Hope and John. "Looks like John will be calling Hope, too."  
  
Tara looked over at the two, who were in the middle of a very romantic looking kiss. She smiled and shook her head, before resting it back against Chris's shoulder. They watched the movie for another forty five minutes before anyone said anything else.  
  
"I'll be right back." Hope said, before hopping up off of the bed and out of the hotel room. John looked over towards the door.  
  
"Where is she going?" He asked.  
  
"Probably to get her camera." Tara said. "She's a photographer." She added with a smile.  
  
"Really?" John said. Tara nodded.  
  
"Damn good one, too." Right after she said that, the door opened and Hope walked in, her camera in hand.  
  
"I knew it!" Tara said with a laugh. Hope shot her a strange look but didn't say anything. Tara smiled and looked over at Chris, who was absentmindedly playing with her hands. She heard a clicking sound and looked back at Hope.  
  
"Sorry, I just couldn't pass it up!" Hope laughed. "It was a great picture."  
  
"It's okay." Tara said. "I want a copy, though."  
  
"Yeah, I do too." Chris said, tightening his grip around Tara's waist.  
  
"Here, let me see it." Tara said, reaching out for the camera. Hope handed it too her and got back onto the bed next to John. Tara snapped a picture before handing the camera back to Hope. Hope took a few more pictures, some of Tara and Chris, some of Chris alone, and some of John alone. Blue Crush had long ago ended, and, glancing at the clock, Tara realized it was past time for her and Hope to leave.  
  
"Hope," She said, looking to her friend. "We better go. We have a three hour drive home." Sadness was obvious in her voice. She nodded and stood up, taking John's hand in hers.  
  
"We're gonna go out in the hallway for a minute alone, okay?" Hope said. Tara nodded. They walked out and closed the door behind them. Tara turned towards Chris, who hugged the small girl close to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her forehead against his, closing her eyes.  
  
"I'm off for a few days in two weeks." Chris said. "Do you want me to come down and stay with you?"  
  
"Sure." Tara replied. "I would love that." Chris nodded. Tara leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips, which he returned. The hotel room door opened and Tara and John walked back in.  
  
"Alright, let's go." Hope said. Tara nodded and stood up, Chris standing up too. He took her hand in his, as John had done with Hope, and they walked the girls out to Tara's car.  
  
"I'll call you tomorrow, alright? It'll either be sometime before seven, or a little after eleven." Chris told her.  
  
"Okay." Tara said. "I'm usually up till midnight or one, so just call anytime you get a chance."  
  
"I will. Believe me, I will." He kissed her forehead, then her cheek, then her lips. She returned the kiss before looking up at the taller man. He gave her a quick hug and backed up as she got into the car.  
  
"Talk to you tomorrow, Chris." She smiled. Hope was buckled in, saying her goodbye to John. Tara buckled her seat belt and she rolled the windows up, pulling out of the parking lot.  
  
"I'm going to miss him." Hope said about fifteen minutes later, the first word that had been spoken in the car. Tara looked over at her friend and noticed a tear run down her cheek.  
  
"Hopey..." She said, patting her sad friend's hand. "Don't cry, sweetie. He'll call. I can tell how much he likes you. Chris is coming up in two weeks, if John is off I'm sure he'll come too."  
  
"He did say he would call tomorrow." Hope said, sending a small smile towards Tara.  
  
"He will." Tara nodded.  
  
*****  
  
Two weeks later, Hope and Tara were both eagerly awaiting the time Chris and John were supposed to be arriving.  
  
"I'm so excited." Hope said, looking to her best friend.  
  
"Me too. I've missed Chris these past two weeks." She smiled. For some reason, the incident that had happened between her and Chris in Orlando had been popping into her mind lately...she figured it was because she hadn't told Hope yet.  
  
'No time like the present,' She thought, turning towards Hope.  
  
"Did anything...happen between you and John the night we got drunk in Orlando?" Tara asked. Hope shot her a weird look.  
  
"No...he took me upstairs, held my hair back when I threw up my alcohol, then put me to bed. He didn't even sleep in the same bed as me." Hope said. "Why...did something happen between you and Chris?" She asked suspiciously. Tara glanced down at her hands, almost nervously. "Something did!" Hope said.  
  
"Yeah." Tara said. "Well, both me and Chris were drunk, and...uh..." She started.  
  
"Y'all had sex, didn't you?" Hope asked, grinning. Tara laughed.  
  
"Yeah, we did." She said, smiling and turning a light shade of pink.  
  
"Dang, girl." Hope laughed. "He must really like you if that didn't screw up you two's relationship."  
  
"Yeah, that's what I thought." Tara said. A knock at the front door drew them from their conversation.  
  
"They're here!" Hope squealed, hopping up and dashing over to the door. She threw her arms around John, who dropped his bag at the door and picked the leggy blonde up, twirling her around.  
  
"Hey, could ya move so I can get in?" Tara heard Chris asked in an amused tone. John grinned and moved out of the way, letting Chris through. Tara stood up and walked over to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead, as her arms went up around his neck.  
  
"It's so good to see you. I've missed you." Chris said into her ear. Tara nodded.  
  
"Me too." Tara replied. The four sat around Hope's living room and talked until almost two in the morning, when Chris and Tara decided to return to Tara's apartment. It was only a fifteen minute drive, and the two talked the entire short trip.  
  
"Well..." Tara said as they approached her apartment building. "This is home." She didn't know why, but for some reason now she was sort of embarrassed to bring Chris to such a beat-up place. Especially after being in Hope's beautiful house almost the entire night. The apartment complex Tara lived in was hardly taken care of at all on the outside, and the small apartments weren't much, either. They walked up two flights of stairs, thanks to the elevator being broken, and Tara unlocked apartment 203. A meowing noise was the first thing that greeted her when she opened the door.  
  
"Hey Ozzie sweetie. I brought a guest!" She cooed to the cat as he weaved himself in and out of her legs. She dropped her purse on the kitchen table and scooped the cat into her arms, resulting in loud purring. She sat the cat down and poured food and fresh water into his dishes, before turning back to Chris.  
  
"I know that the place is small and not too great to look at..." Tara started, but realized that she really didn't know what to say aside from that. "I'm working on a house." She said with a laugh. "I want something like Hope's house. It's gorgeous."  
  
"It is pretty. But I like it here, too." Chris said. "It's cozy. The perfect place for just two people." He smiled and walked over to the small girl, scooping her up into his arms. She giggled as he twirled her around, then, still holding her, looked into her eyes. "And it's got you here, so it's got to be perfect."  
  
"You're so sweet, baby." She smiled, pecking his lips. He returned the smile and put her down. She grabbed his hand and took her into her bedroom.  
  
"I'm gonna go change into my pajamas real quick, you can change in here if you want." She said. He nodded and she got into one of her dresser drawers, pulling out a pair of pajamas. She walked into her bathroom and pulled on her favorite pair of comfy pajamas: red silk-like pajama pants with black Japanese writing on them, and a white tank top with a large black Japanese flower in the middle. She returned to her bedroom, seeing Chris sitting on her bed in only a pair of pajama pants, looking at the pictures on her bedside table.  
  
"Those are my parents." Tara said, climbing on the bed behind Chris and kissing the back of his neck softly.  
  
"You don't look much like them," Chris observed, viewing the picture of Tara and her parents at a New Year's party.  
  
"I was adopted." She said, running her fingertips over the framed picture.  
  
"Oh," Chris said, turning back towards her. She smiled and kissed his forehead.  
  
"I've never met my real parents." She went on. "I've been thinking about trying to find my mother lately, though, finally meet her."  
  
"She probably wants to see you." Chris offered.  
  
"I hope. I think I am going to look for her in the next couple of months." Tara said. She then snuggled back into Chris's arms. "But right now I don't even want to think about it. I just want to lay here in your arms."  
  
"I have no objections to that." Chris said, kissing the top of her head. Shifting around to get comfortable, they ended up with Chris laying down on his back, Tara on her side with her head on his chest. She felt the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, and heard his heartbeat. Soon enough, they lulled her to sleep.  
  
*****  
  
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I will try to have another out before the weekend. 


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I only own Tara, Hope, and Oz.

----------

Chris woke up early the next morning. He was about to move when he glanced down. Tara was still asleep. She was curled up next to him, her head still resting on his chest, an arm draped over his stomach, and her knees tucked up to her chest. He smiled, brushing a piece of honey brown hair off of her forehead.

'She's so pretty,' He thought to himself, not taking his eyes off of her. He thought her face was flawless. She had a natural light tan from living close to the beach, a few freckles across the bridge of her nose and her cheeks. A small, slightly button like nose that he thought was incredibly adorable, almond shaped bright green eyes, and full rosy lips.

"See something you like? He heard her quip. She grinned and opened her eyes.

"Yeah, the beautiful girl beside me." He replied, kissing her forehead. She moved up next to him, running her fingertips down his chest and stomach. After laying there for a few minutes, Tara got up and stretched.

"I'm gonna go take a shower." Chris said, also standing up.

"Okay. I'm going to fix breakfast." Tara said.

"You don't have to." Chris said, walking over to her.

"I know I don't have to, but I want to." She smiled. He returned the smile and bent down, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"If you want." He grinned, before grabbing a change of clothes and heading into the bathroom. Tara walked into her kitchen and pulled out a few things from her fridge. Chris walked into the kitchen about twenty minutes later, just as Tara was sitting a few plates on her kitchen table.

"Just grab a plate and dig in." She said, before disappearing into her bedroom. She reemerged a few minutes later, an ink pen and a stack of envelopes in her hand. She sat down across from Chris, with her legs crossed underneath her. She grabbed a plate, stacking a waffle and a few slices of bacon onto it. After taking a bite, she opened the first envelope and looked over it, before pulling the checkbook out of her purse that was on the floor and wrote out a check. She put it and the paper back into the envelope and sat it to the side.

"I swear, I could kill my boss sometimes." Tara said, shaking her head as she wrote out another check. "He waited to pay me because I was five minutes late to work. Five minutes!" She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I am so behind on my bills."

"How much does he pay you?" Chris asked.

"Not nearly enough." She sighed. "Just enough to get me by every month."

"Why don't you get a job at one of the other parlors? I know there are tons around here." He said.

"None of them are ever hiring. I've asked about positions a number of times at a few different ones, but I never get the call back." She shrugged. He nodded. A plan was already forming in his mind. As soon as he had a moment alone, he'd be calling Vince.

----------

"Vince," Chris spoke into the phone. Tara had gone to the store to pick up some drinks and cat food, and Chris seized the opportunity to make the call.

"Hello Chris." Vince said.

"I have a favor to ask of you." Chris said. "I want to bring my girlfriend on the road with us."

"Chris, you know that I don't have a problem with the employees bringing close friends or family on the road with us. Significant others fit that category."

"I know...but I also want to get her a job." Chris replied. "She could be my PA. She's a tattoo artist here in Florida, and she has her own equipment, so I'm sure she wouldn't mind inking up any of the roster if they wanted a new tattoo. That way they wouldn't have to break their necks looking for a clean, sanitary place in whatever city we're in." They were silent for a moment as Vince contemplated the idea.

"Alright." Vince said finally. "That could work." Chris grinned.

"Thank you, Vince." He said. He hung up just as Tara walked back through the door, two brown paper bags in her hands. Chris stood up and took them from her, sitting them on her kitchen counter. He then took her hand and led her over to the couch.

"I want to talk to you about something." He told her.

"Alright, shoot." She said, turning her emerald green eyes towards his blue ones.

"I just got off the phone with Vince." He started. "I asked him if he would give you a job." She looked at him, an almost confused expression on her face.

"You did that without talking to me first?" She shot at him, jerking her hand away from his.

"I know I should have, but I needed to see what Vince thought about it." He pleaded, looking into her eyes. "I'm really sorry I didn't. But Vince said that he would give you a job as my PA. He also said that you could do tattoos for the roster." She looked down, considering the offer.

"Wow, Vinnie Mac putting out for his own tattoo artist." She grinned. "Alright. It's a done deal." She looked back up at Chris. He smiled and leaned in, kissing her softly on the lips. "I'm going to have to ask Hope if she'll keep Oz while I'm away." She stood up and walked over to the phone. She picked it up and dialed Hope's number.

"Hey, chick." She said after a moment. "Guess what?" A pause. "I'm going on the road with Chris!" Another pause. "Seriously! I was wondering if you could watch Oz while I'm away." She held the phone with her shoulder and crossed her arms over her chest. "Thank you! I owe you so much! Oh, and sure we will. What time do you want us over?" She picked at her nails. "Alrighty. See ya then!" She hung the phone up.

"I told Hope we'd go over to her house for a cookout tonight, I hope that's okay." She told Chris, walking back over to her couch. She sat down beside him, kicking her flip-flops off and swinging her legs over his lap.

"Sure," He said. "Fine with me." She smiled.

"I told her we'd be over about seven, so I have to get a shower and everything."

"Maybe I can get you drunk again tonight," He joked, grinning. She stood up and made for her bathroom, before turning around and looking at him.

"Maybe you won't have to get me drunk." She replied, also grinning, before walking into her bathroom and closing the door. She took a quick shower and returned to her bedroom, wearing only the short, silk bathrobe she kept in her bathroom. Her honey brown hair was damp and hanging down beside her face. She rummaged through her drawers, finally pulling out a pair of well-worn denim jeans and a black tank top. She changed and dried her hair, not bothering to flip it out or apply any makeup. She walked back into the living room, where Chris was watching some random program on the TV. Tara sat down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. Her eyes traveled up to the clock on her wall that read 6:15. Chris slipped an arm around her slender waist, tugging her into his lap. They sat in silence for about fifteen minutes, until Tara stood up and slid her flip-flops onto her feet.

"Ready to go?" She asked. He nodded. She grabbed her messenger bag and car keys and they walked out to her car. It was about a twenty minute drive to Hope's house, and it was nearly seven when they arrived.

"Hey hun!" Hope said, walking out of her front door as Tara parked and turned her car off. "Hey Chris." She smiled, giving Tara a small hug. "Come on out back! We have food and alcohol." Hope laughed. Tara grinned and followed the tall girl around to the back of her house. She could see a few burger patties and a few tin foil packages on the grill and a cooler that was on the ground beside the brown wooden picnic bench that was in her back yard. John was sitting on the bench, drinking a beer as he watched the food on the grill.

"Hey Chris, Tara." He said with a nod as they came around back.

"Hey John, how's it going?" Tara asked. She walked over to the bench and crouched beside the cooler, taking out a peach flavored wine cooler. She popped the top off and took a drink of it before taking a seat on the bench.

"Great, I'm having a blast here." He smiled. Tara returned it as Chris came over and sat next to her, slipping an arm around her waist.

"Yeah, being at Hope's is always fun." She said with a grin. John laughed as Hope came over and sat down beside the two.

"Did I hear my name?" She said in an amused tone as she squeezed in between John and Tara.

"Yeah, I was telling John about how big of a loser you are." Tara said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, he already knew that." Hope grinned.

"Not surprising." Tara laughed, poking her tongue out at Hope. Hope laughed and rolled her eyes before jumping up onto the bench beside John.

"So, I hear you're going on the road with Chris." John said, taking a swig of his Corona.

"Yup, I sure am." Tara replied. "Vince said that I could be Chris's PA and that since I have all of my own equipment, I can do tattoos for the roster."

"That's cool, I've been thinking about getting one." John said.

"Awesome, if you do decide to get one you know who to come to." Tara grinned.

"I'll think about it and give you a call." He grinned. Tara nodded and took another drink of her wine cooler. Hope got down off of the bench and checked the food on the grill, before turning to the others.

"Foods ready, come and get what you want." She grinned, taking one of the foil packages off of the grill. She laid it on her plate and unwrapped it, revealing a large piece of fish with peppers and a lemon slice on top.

"Is that catfish?" Tara asked, standing up.

"Yep." Hope nodded.

"I love you to death, Hopey." Tara then took one of the foil packages for herself and sat next to Hope, digging into her food. Both of the guys fixed themselves burgers, and all four of them ate and talked until about eleven that night.

"I think we're gonna head out now, I have to pack tomorrow." Tara said, hugging Hope and John goodbye.

"Alright chick, call me, okay?" Hope said.

"You know I will." Tara smiled before both she and Chris got into her car and drove off.

----------

Once they arrived back at Tara's apartment, she immediately opened her closet doors and took a suitcase out. Chris stood in the doorway, silently watching her as she looked through her clothes, selecting certain items she wanted to take with her.

"How long are we going to be gone?" Tara asked as she folded some of her clothes and placed them in her suitcase. Chris walked over to her and rested his hands on her upper arms.

"Well, we're going to be on the road for about a week and a half, and then I have three days off." Chris said before placing a soft kiss on the side of her neck.

"So we're coming back here?" She assumed.

"I was thinking we could go to my house." Chris said, rubbing her upper arms.

"Alright." Tara said, turning around to face him. He smiled and leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on her full lips. She returned the smile before turning back around and finishing putting her clothes in the suitcase. After doing that, she walked over to a box that was resting on her dresser. She took the box and sat it on her bed next to her suitcase, before returning to her closet. She came back with another bag, but this one was a small duffle bag. She unzipped it and opened the box. Inside of the box was her tattoo gun and packages of needles. She placed everything in the box inside of the bag, before going and grabbing bottles of ink. After getting all of her tattooing things into the bag, she zipped it up and placed it on top of her clothes. She then zipped the suitcase and sat it on the floor at the foot of her bed.

"I'm gonna have to buy an autoclave to take with me." She said. "We can order one tomorrow and I can have it sent to Stamford, it would be the easiest way for it to get to me." She smiled. Chris nodded, before returning the smile and leaning in to kiss Tara. She giggled after they broke the kiss, then yawned widely.

"Gah, I'm tired!" She stretched. She then got into her closet and dug out some pajamas, consisting of short silk shorts and a sports bra. She changed with her back facing Chris, and then the two climbed in bed.

"Night, babe." He muttered as she turned out the light. He kissed her temple and the two drifted off to sleep, Chris holding Tara in his arms.


End file.
